Orbán to block Ukraine aid until Russian oil deliveries resume
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has ruled out lifting his government’s veto on a 90 billion euro ($103 billion) loan for kyiv and new sanctions against Moscow until Russian oil deliveries through Ukraine resume.
“I will never support any decision here in favor of Ukraine,” Orbán said upon arriving in Brussels on Thursday for a meeting of European Union leaders.
“The Hungarian position is very simple. We are ready to support Ukraine when we have our oil, which is blocked by them,” Orbán said.
The Druzhba pipeline carried Russian oil through Ukraine to central Europe until, according to kyiv, it was damaged by a Russian strike in January. The cessation of fuel deliveries has further increased tensions between Budapest and kyiv.
Hungary demanded that kyiv quickly repair the pipeline and resume transit. According to Ukraine, a rapid repair was not possible.
Disputing kyiv’s claims, Budapest vetoed a new package of sanctions against Russia and blocked the disbursement of the loan to Ukraine.
According to EU officials, Ukraine recently accepted technical and financial assistance from the EU to repair the gas pipeline.
Orbán stressed that he would only change course when Russian oil arrived in Budapest again. “We need it because it is existential,” Orbán said.
Much to the anger of many other EU leaders, Hungary’s prime minister approved the loan at a previous summit in December, before his government reversed course days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.
Orbán’s government faces tough parliamentary elections in April, fueling speculation that vetoing new aid measures will be part of his re-election campaign.
